Benign Cystic Peritoneal Mesothelioma Revealed by Small Bowel Obstruction

Our plain-English summary of Benign Cystic Peritoneal Mesothelioma Revealed by Small Bowel Obstruction, by K. Bray Madoué, M. Boniface, E. Annick Laure, et al (Case Reports in Radiology, 2016).

The study

• Authors: K. Bray Madoué, M. Boniface, E. Annick Laure, H. Pierre
• Journal: Case Reports in Radiology
• Published: 2016;2016:6728160
• Cited by: 2 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

Benign cystic peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare tumor which frequently occurs in women of reproductive age. Abdominal pain associated with pelvic or abdominal mass is the common clinical presentation. We report the case of a 22-year-old woman with a pathological proved benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum revealed by a small bowel obstruction and a painful left-sided pelvic mass with signs of psoitis. Contrast enhanced abdominal CT-scan demonstrated a large pelvic cystic mass with mass effect on rectosigmoid and pelvic organs. The patient underwent surgical removal of the tumor. Pathological examination revealed the diagnosis of benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum. The outcome was excellent with a 12-month recoil.

In plain English

This was a case report from the Renaissance Hospital of N'Djamena, Chad, about one young woman with benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum, the lining of the abdomen. The article gives her age two ways: 22 years in the abstract and introduction, and 20 years in the case description. She had four days of diffuse abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Her history included a premature delivery in 2014 followed by a puerperal infection. Doctors found a painful left-sided abdominal mass and signs of bowel obstruction. A contrast CT scan showed a thin-walled cystic mass of 103 mm by 122 mm pressing on the large intestine and pelvic organs. At emergency surgery the mass, which was stuck to the bowel, was completely removed. Under the microscope it was lined by mesothelial cells that tested positive for CK7 and calretinin. The abstract reports an excellent outcome after 12 months. The article does not mention asbestos or any other fiber exposure. The authors concluded that this rare tumor is hard to diagnose before surgery and needs pathology for a final diagnosis. They said surgery is the only effective treatment and that the prognosis is usually good.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: case report (one patient)
• Who was studied: One woman, given as 22 years old in the abstract and introduction and as 20 years old in the case description, seen at N'Djamena Renaissance Hospital, Chad. Her history was a premature delivery in 2014 followed by a puerperal infection. Date of presentation not stated.
• Exposure: Not reported. The article does not mention asbestos or any other fiber or occupational exposure.
• Main results:
  • The patient had four days of diffuse abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Examination found a painful left-sided abdominal mass with signs of psoitis, and the doctors concluded she had an intestinal obstruction probably caused by the mass.
  • A contrast-enhanced CT scan showed a large left-sided thin-walled cystic mass measuring 103 mm by 122 mm, pressing on the large intestine and pelvic organs.
  • At emergency surgery, a cystic mass of the Douglas pouch was found stuck to the small and large bowel. It was completely removed.
  • Pathology showed thin membranes lined by mesothelial cells that were positive for CK7 and calretinin.
  • The outcome was described as excellent at 12 months. This appears only in the abstract printed with the article.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that benign cystic peritoneal mesothelioma is rare, mostly affects women of reproductive age, and is very difficult to diagnose before surgery. They said the final diagnosis requires pathology, surgery is the only effective treatment, and the prognosis is usually good.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Peritoneal Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma, Peritoneum.

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